Property inspection devices, methods, and systems

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure describes structural inspection devices, methods, and systems. One inspection device includes a pole, a sensor coupled to an end of the pole and configured to capture a multispectral image of a roof, and a number of attachments coupled to the pole and configured to stabilize the pole.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.16/139,834, filed Sep. 24, 2018 which is a continuation of U.S.application Ser. No. 15/091,365, filed Apr. 5, 2016 and issued on Nov.13, 2018 as U.S. Pat. No. 10,129,508, which is a continuation-in-part ofU.S. application Ser. No. 14/505,769, filed Oct. 3, 2014 and issued onMay 15, 2018 as U.S. Pat. No. 9,970,881, which is a continuation-in-partof U.S. application Ser. No. 13/781,389, filed Feb. 28, 2013 and issuedon Jul. 11, 2017 as U.S. Pat. No. 9,706,173, which is acontinuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/298,083, filed Nov.16, 2011 and issued on Jul. 11, 2017 as U.S. Pat. No. 9,706,172, whichclaims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/532,470, filedSep. 8, 2011, the entire specifications of which are incorporated hereinby reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The disclosed embodiments generally relate to property inspectionsystems, and more particularly, the use of remotely located, andcontrolled, electronic inspection devices for conducting propertyinspections.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In some circumstances, an insurance company may need to inspect theroof, walls, windows, or any other elevated surface not accessible fromthe ground of a building (e.g., a house and/or dwelling) covered by aninsurance policy issued by the insurance company. For example, if theroof of a building covered by an insurance policy is damaged due to, forinstance, a storm, wind, hail, falling tree(s), water, and/or fire,among other causes of damage, the insurance company may need to inspecta difficult to access regions (e.g., a damaged roof, underneath avehicle, behind vehicle fender wells, and other location not readilyaccessible by an inspector) as part of a claims process. For instance,the insurance company may need to assess the condition of the roof(e.g., the extent and/or amount of the damage to the roof) in order todetermine whether a loss exists and/or estimate the cost of repairingthe damage.

In some previous roof inspection approaches, a human representative(e.g., a claims adjuster) of the insurance company may need tophysically climb on to the roof (e.g., using a ladder) and/or walkaround on the roof in order to inspect the roof. However, such a roofinspection method can be dangerous for the claims adjuster. Further,such a roof inspection method can be costly and/or time consuming forthe insurance company.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The purpose and advantages of the below described illustratedembodiments will be set forth in and apparent from the description thatfollows. Additional advantages of the illustrated embodiments will berealized and attained by the devices, systems and methods particularlypointed out in the written description and claims hereof, as well asfrom the appended drawings.

To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purposeof the illustrated embodiments, in one aspect, a roof inspection systemand method is described in which in one illustrated embodiment providedis system including a device consisting of an extendable pole; anadjustable sensor mount coupled to an end of the extendable pole; areleasable sensor device (e.g., a multispectral sensor device) coupledto the adjustable sensor mount; an extendable bipod attachment coupledto the extendable pole and configured to stabilize the extendable poleon or within a structure. A remote device is provided which isconfigured to instruct the releasable sensor device to capture amultispectral image of the structure and send the captured multispectralimage to the remote device wherein the remote device electronicallyprovides advanced processing and analysis and transmits the capturedmultispectral image. A computer server is located remotely from themobile device configured to electronically receive the capturedmultispectral image from the remote device and provide advanced analysisof the captured multispectral image with regards to facilitating aninspection process.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate a system for inspecting a roof in accordancewith one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 illustrates an attachment of a structure inspection system inaccordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 illustrates an adjustable sensor mount of a structure inspectionsystem in accordance with one or more embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 4 illustrates a mobile device of a structure inspection system inaccordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 illustrates a block diagram of an inspection system and anelectronic claim processing system.

FIG. 6 illustrates further details of an electronic claim processingsystem.

FIGS. 7a and 7b illustrate methods of operation for the inspectionsystem and claim processing system of FIGS. 5 and 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure describes roof inspection devices, methods, andsystems. One or more embodiments include a pole, a camera, and/ormultispectral sensor, coupled to an end of the pole and configured tocapture imaging data from a structure, and a number of attachmentscoupled to the pole and configured to stabilize the pole on or withinthe structure, such as on a roof, in an attic, crawlspace, and/or on anelevated or subterranean surface.

Inspection devices, methods, and/or systems in accordance with thepresent disclosure can be safer than previous roof inspection approaches(e.g, inspection approaches in which a person physically climbs on tothe roof, climbs in an attic, and/or crawls into a crawlspace). Further,inspection devices, methods, and/or systems in accordance with thepresent disclosure can be safer, less costly and/or less time consumingthan previous roof inspection approaches.

In the following detailed description of the present disclosure,reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof,and in which is shown by way of illustration how one or more embodimentsof the disclosure may be practiced. These embodiments are described insufficient detail to enable those of ordinary skill in the art topractice the embodiments of this disclosure, and it is to be understoodthat other embodiments may be utilized and that process and/orstructural changes may be made without departing from the scope of thepresent disclosure.

The figures herein follow a numbering convention in which the firstdigit or digits correspond to the drawing figure number and theremaining digits identify an element or component in the drawing.Similar elements or components between different figures may beidentified by the use of similar digits. For example, 106 may referenceelement “06” in FIG. 1A and/or FIG. 113, and a similar element may bereferenced as 206 in FIG. 2.

As will be appreciated, elements shown in the various embodiments hereincan be added, exchanged, and/or eliminated so as to provide a number ofadditional embodiments of the present disclosure. In addition, as willbe appreciated, the proportion and the relative scale of the elementsprovided in the figures are intended to illustrate the embodiments ofthe present disclosure, and should not be taken in a limiting sense.

As used herein, “a” or “a number of something can refer to one or moresuch things. For example, “a number of attachments” can refer to one ormore attachments.

FIG. 1A illustrates a system 100 for inspecting a structure, such as aroof in accordance with one or more embodiments of the presentdisclosure. FIG. 1B illustrates a portion of the roof inspection system100 while roof inspection system 100 is in use on (e.g., is being usedto inspect) a roof 116. Roof 116 can be, for example, the roof of abuilding (e.g., a house and/or dwelling) covered by an insurance policyissued by an insurance company. Additionally and/or alternatively, roof116 can be and/or include any elevated surface that is not accessiblefrom the ground, such as, for instance, a wall(s) or window(s). It ishowever to be understood the present invention is not to be understoodto be limited to a roof inspection as it may encompass inspection of anyportion of a structure (e.g., building, vehicle and the like)susceptible to inspection by the present invention inspection systemdescribed herein. For ease of description purposes, reference is hereinmade regarding to inspection of a roof, however, the present inventionis not to be understood to be limited to a roof inspection.

As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, roof inspection system 100 includes a pole102. Pole 102 can be, for example, an extendable pole having a number ofextendable sections (e.g., segments). For instance, in the embodimentsillustrated in FIGS. IA and 1B, pole 102 includes five extendablesections (e.g., sections 110-1, 110-2, 110-3, 110-4, and 110-5).However, embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to aparticular number of extendable sections for pole 102. In someembodiments, the last section of pole 102 (e.g., section 110-5) can bereleasable (e.g., detachable and/or removable) from the rest of the pole(e.g., from the other sections of the pole). Such embodiments wouldallow for attachment of a sensor to a flying device, floating device,digging device, climbing device, or crawling device that can positionthe sensor to collect data relevant and necessary to complete aninspection. This may include fiber optic adaptations. A fiber opticadaptation would allow a visual sensor to be extended from pole 102 or asensor attached thereto rather than extending a sensor by itself. Formulti-spectral sensors, similarly accommodating media would be attachedto position the sensor to observe input for the purpose of collectingdata. An example would include, but not be limited to, a steel rodadapted to a stethoscope to listen for termites.

Pole 102 (e.g., one or more sections of pole 102) can be extended (e.g.,partially or fully extended) while roof inspection system 100 is beingused to inspect a roof (e.g., roof 116), as illustrated in FIG. 1B. Forexample, in the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B, pole 102 isin a fully extended position (e.g., all sections of pole 102 areextended). Pole 102 can be retracted (e.g., not extended) when roofinspection system 100 is not in use. For example, pole 102 can beretracted while roof inspection system 100 is being stored and/ortransported.

In some embodiments, pole 102 can be a non-conductive pole. For example,pole 102 can include a non-conductive (e.g., insulator) material suchas, for instance, a non-metal material. For instance, pole 102 can be acarbon fiber pole (e.g., include a carbon fiber material). As anadditional example, an insulator material, such as, for instance, afiberglass material, can be wrapped around a portion or all of pole 102.

As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, roof inspection system 100 includes anadjustable sensor device mount 114 coupled to an end 108 (e.g., the top)of pole 102. End 108 can be, for instance, a part of (e.g., an end of)the last section of pole 102 (e.g., section 110-5), as illustrated inFIGS. 1A and 1B.

As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, adjustable sensor mount 114 (e.g., theposition of adjustable mount 114) can be adjusted (e.g., moved and/orbent) with respect to pole 102. Accordingly, adjustable mount 114 canprovide flexibility for a data sensing device camera (e.g., a sensordevice 104) mounted therein, while at the same time keeping the camerastable while it is in use (e.g., while it is capturing images of roof116). For instance, a camera mounted in adjustable sensor device mount114 can capture different images of roof 116 (e.g., images of differentportions of roof 116) without moving pole 102 (e.g., while pole 102remains in the same position on roof 116). Adjustable sensor devicemount 114 will be further described herein (e.g., in connection withFIG. 3). It is to be appreciated, for ease of description purposes,reference is herein made to use of a sensor device 104 as a data sensingdevice. Sensor device 104 may be any device suitable for inspecting astructure. The present invention is not to be understood as beinglimited to a particular sensor device, although certain examples maymake reference to particular types of sensor devices. Examples of sensordevices include, but are not limited to, cameras, infrared sensingdevices, moisture sensing device, sound sensing (to listen for rodents,running water, material density, insulation gaps, etc.), gas sensingdevices, material sensing devices, x-ray, thermal sensing devices, andthe like.

As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, roof inspection system 100 includes asensor device 104 coupled to (e.g., mounted in) adjustable sensor mount114. Sensor device 104 may be, for example, a light weight and/or highresolution multispectral sensor. Sensor device 104 can be, for example,a remotely controllable and/or remotely operable sensor. That is, sensordevice 104 can be controlled and/or operated from a location other thanthe location of the sensor device 104, as will be further describedherein.

Sensor device 104 in one example may capture (e.g., produce, generate,and/or acquire) a number of multispectral images (e.g., a number ofdigital images) of a roof (e.g., roof 116) that is being inspected. Forexample, sensor device 104 may capture a number of images of a roof thathas been damaged due to, for instance, a storm, wind, hail, fallingtree(s), water, and/or fire, among other causes of damage. Sensor device104 can capture images of a portion(s) of the roof (e.g., the damagedportion(s)) and/or images of the entire roof. As an example, aftersensor device 104 captures an image of a roof, adjustable sensor mount114 (e.g., the position of adjustable sensor mount 114) can be adjusted(e.g., moved), and sensor device 104 can then capture a different imageof the roof (e.g., an image of a different portion of the roof) afteradjustable sensor mount 114 is adjusted.

In some embodiments, sensor device I 04 may be a releasable (e.g.,detachable and/or removable camera) device. That is, sensor device 104can be released (e.g., detached and/or removed) from adjustable sensormount 114. For instance, sensor device 104 can be released fromadjustable sensor mount 114 after capturing an image of the roof. Insuch embodiments, after sensor device 104 is released from adjustablesensor mount 114, sensor device 104 may move around on the roof tocapture images of different parts of the roof. Sensor device 104, in oneembodiment, may include mechanical devices that may be actuated to allowit physically contact a structure as part of the inspection process. Forinstance, mechanically actuated devices may poke, hammer, tap, or createfriction against a structure in order to collect data. In one example,such devices may work in conjunction with other devices to collect suchdata. For instance, a mechanical device may tap a structure and a soundsensor may listen to the sound produced by the mechanical device tappingthe structure and diagnose a condition of the structure.

For example, sensor device 104 can move around on the roof to captureimages of portions of the roof that may not be accessible to pole 102(e.g., portions of the roof that may not be accessible to sensor device104 when it is attached to the end 108 of pole 102). For instance,sensor device 104 be moved to capture an image over an edge(s) of theroof (e.g., to peak over the edge of the roof). In one embodiment,sensor device 104 may include remotely controlled mechanical components,such as wheels or coasters components that may enable sensor device 104to traverse the roof. In one example, sensor device 104 may includepropeller elements that may provide sensor device 104 with thecapability to fly over the roof or structure under inspection. Inanother embodiment, sensor device 104 may be connected to a housing thatincludes components that enable it to fly over or traverse a structure.

In one embodiment, sensor device 104 may be positioned within astructure. For instance, sensor device 104 may be positioned within anattic or crawlspace through utilization of adjustable sensor mount 114and used to inspect a crawlspace through manipulation of pole 102. Inanother example, sensor device 104 may be released from adjustablesensor mount 114 and used to inspect crawlspace remotely throughutilization of wheels, coasters, and/or propeller elements as wasdescribed above. The multispectral capability of sensor device 104 willallow sensor device 104 to transmit information regarding the crawlspacethat would allow an operator to make a determination as to whether ornot there is structural damage within the crawlspace. For example,sensor device 104 may transmit images, or sensor data, showingstructural degradation, hot spots, gas leaks, etc.

In another embodiment, sensor device 104 may be permanently orsemi-permanently positioned within a structure and remotely operated toinspect the structure. For instance, sensor device 104 may be positionedwithin an attic. Sensor device 104 may then be programmed to periodicperform inspections of structure. Such inspections may occur inaccordance with a schedule at regular intervals through programming of acalendar or timer. Such inspections may occur on an ad hoc basis, suchas in response to an event, e.g., a weather or sound event. For example,rain or hail on a roof could be sensed by sound or by a remote weathertrigger from a weather radio frequency or by the Internet. In bothinstances, one or more sensors may collect instantaneous, periodic, orcontinuous data collection depending on the event trigger (e.g., arodent may trigger video and heavy rain may trigger two photos an hourapart). A sensor response may vary depending on other environmentalvariables, such as the temperature, barometric pressure, and humidity atthe time of the event trigger. In one example, temperature change of anarea and ambient temperature change are two variables that may cause theinitiation of active observation of a leak such that the remedial focusmay be on repair rather than replacement.

It should be noted that in one embodiment sensor device may inspect theroof on the exterior and the attic on the interior. The data from theinspection may then be matched such that the combined data may be usedto make a three-dimensional model of the inspected areas.

In one embodiment, sensor device 104 may be affixed to a structure. Forinstance, sensor device 104 may be suspended from a structure. Propellerelements attached to sensor device 104 may be utilized to navigatesensor device in a regular pattern through the structure. In anotherembodiment, sensor device 104 may be freestanding within a structure.Sensor device 104 may utilize ground propelling elements, such aswheels, coasters, or treads, to navigate through the structure.

In some embodiments, sensor device 104 can be a hotspot (e.g., a Wifihotspot) that can create its own network (e.g., its own wirelessnetwork) (not shown in FIG. 1A or 1B). As used herein, a “network”(e.g., the network created by sensor device 104) can provide acommunication system that directly or indirectly links two or morecomputers and/or peripheral devices (e.g., sensor device 104 and mobiledevice 112, as will be further described herein) and allows users toaccess resources on other computing devices and exchange messages withother users. A network can allow users to share resources on their ownsystems with other network users and to access information on centrallylocated systems or on systems that are located at remote locations. Anetwork may also allow sensors to compare performance of like structuresat the same time to compare performance under identical conditions.

In one embodiment, sensor device 104 may interact with one or more smarthome management devices. For instance, sensor device 104 may interactwith sensors that are attached to a structure (e.g. leak sensors).Sensor device 104 and the other sensors may cooperate to inspect apossible structural failure. In one example, a first type of leaksensor(s) (attached to water system) and a second type of leak sensor(leak not attached to the water system) may interact with each otherand/or sensor device 104. In the event that sensors identified apossible structural failure, sensor device 104 may inspect the locationof the possible failure and initiate a proactive repair such that a losswould be prevented.

A network may provide connections to the Internet and/or to the networksof other entities (e.g., organizations, institutions, etc.). Users mayinteract with network-enabled software applications to make a networkrequest, such as to trigger sensors, get a file, or print on a networkprinter. Applications may also communicate with network managementsoftware, which can interact with network hardware to transmitinformation between devices on the network.

As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, roof inspection system 100 includes anattachment 106 coupled to pole 102 (e.g., to a shaft and/or one of theextendable sections of pole 102). In the embodiments illustrated inFIGS. 1A and 1B, attachment 106 is an extendable bipod attachment.Although the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B include oneattachment 106 coupled to pole 102, embodiments of the presentdisclosure are not so limited, and can include any number (e.g., morethan one) of attachments 106 coupled to pole 102.

In some embodiments, attachment 106 may not be a releasable (e.g.,detachable and/or removable) attachment. That is, attachment 106 may notbe releasable from pole 102.

Attachment 106 can be used to stabilize pole 102 (e.g., prevent pole 102from moving) while pole 102 is on the roof (e.g., while pole 102 isextended and/or while sensor device 104 is capturing images of the roof)and/or to move pole 102 along the roof. As an example, after sensordevice 104 captures an image of a roof, and while pole 102 remainsextended, attachment 106 can be used to move pole 102 to a differentlocation on the roof and stabilize pole 102 at the different location.Sensor device 104 can then capture a different image of the roof (e.g.,an image of a different portion of the root) while pole 102 isstabilized at the different location. Further, attachment 106 canprovide consistent distances for pole 102 that can result in sensordevice 104 capturing standardized images of the roof. Attachment 106will be further described herein (e.g., in connection with FIG. 2).

As shown in FIG. 1A, roof inspection system 100 includes a mobile device112. Mobile device 112 can be, for example, tablet, a mobile phone, asmart phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a smart device, etc.Mobile device 112 can be a hotspot that can create its own network (notshown in FIG. 1).

Mobile device 112 (e.g., a user of mobile device 112) can communicatewith, control, and/or operate sensor device 104 via the network createdby mobile device 112 and/or the network created by sensor device 104.For example, mobile device 112 can instruct sensor device 104 to capturean image of a roof (e.g., roof 116) and send (e.g., transmit) thecaptured image to mobile device 112. Mobile device 112 can receive thecaptured image of the roof sent from sensor device 104 and/or displaythe captured image (e.g., to a user of mobile device 112), as will befurther described herein. As an additional example, mobile device 112can release sensor device 104 from pole 102 and move sensor device 104around on the roof after sensor device 104 is released from pole 102.

In some embodiments, mobile device 112 can send the captured image ofthe roof to an additional computing device (not shown in FIG. 1A or 1B).The additional computing device can be, for example, a mobile device(e.g., a tablet, a mobile phone, a smart phone, a personal digitalassistant (PDA), a smart device, etc.), a laptop computer, or a desktopcomputer, among other types of computing devices. The additionalcomputing device can be located at or near the location of roofinspection system 100, or at a location remote to roof inspection 100(e.g., at a building of the insurance company).

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1A, mobile device 112 is coupledto pole 102 (e.g., near the bottom of pole 102). Mobile device 112 canbe coupled to pole 102 by, for example, an adjustable (e.g., flexible)mount (not shown in FIG. 1A). However, embodiments of the presentdisclosure are not so limited. For example, in some embodiments, mobiledevice 112 may not be coupled to pole 102. Further, in some embodiments,mobile device 112 can be releasable from pole 102. For instance, in someembodiments, mobile device 112 can be coupled to a strap (e.g., autility strap) that can be worn by (e.g., hooks around the neck of) theuser (e.g., operator) of mobile device 112. Mobile device 112 will befurther described herein (e.g., in connection with FIG. 3).

Roof inspection system 100 can, for example, be used by a claimsadjuster of an insurance company or a technician to inspect the roof ofa building (e.g., roof 116) covered by an insurance policy issued by theinsurance company. For example, the claims adjuster can use roofinspection system 100 to inspect a roof that has been damaged due to,for instance, a storm, wind, hail, falling tree(s), water, and/or fire,among other causes of damage, as part of a claims process. For instance,the claims adjuster may use roof inspection system 100 to assess thecondition of the roof (e.g., the extent and/or amount of the damage tothe roof) in order to determine whether a loss exists and/or estimatethe cost of repairing the damage.

By using roof inspection system 100 to inspect the roof, the claimsadjuster can inspect the roof and other places not accessible from theground without having to physically climb on to the roof and/or walkaround on the roof. For example, the claims inspector may be able toinspect the roof from the ground. In contrast, in some previous roofinspection approaches, the claims adjuster may need to physically climbon to a roof (e.g., using a ladder) and/or walk around on the roof inorder to inspect the roof. Accordingly, using roof inspection system 100to inspect a roof can be more accurate, safer, less costly, and/or lesstime consuming than such previous roof inspection approaches.

FIG. 2 illustrates an attachment 206 (e.g., an extendable bipodattachment) of a roof inspection system in accordance with one or moreembodiments of the present disclosure. Attachment 206 can be, forexample, attachment 106 of roof inspection system 100 previouslydescribed in connection with FIGS. 1A and 1B.

As shown in FIG. 2, attachment 206 includes members (e.g., legs) 220-1and 220-2. Members 220-1 and 220-2 can be, for example, extendablemembers having a number of extendable sections (e.g., segments). Forinstance, in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, members 220-1 and220-2 each include two extendable sections (e.g., member 220-1 includessections 226-1 and 226-2, and member 220-2 includes sections 228-1 and228-2). However, embodiments of the present disclosure are not limitedto a particular number of extendable sections for members 220-1 or220-2.

Attachment 206 (e.g., one or more sections of the members of attachment206) can be extended (e.g., partially or fully extended) while roofinspection system 100 is being used to inspect a roof (e.g., roof 116).For example, attachment 206 can be extended before extending pole 102and/or before stabilizing pole 102 on the roof. In the embodimentillustrated in FIG. 2, attachment 206 is in a fully extended position(e.g., all sections of members 220-1 and 220-2 are extended). Whileextended (e.g., while in the fully extended position illustrated in FIG.2), attachment 206 can be used to stabilize pole 102 (e.g., prevent pole102 from moving) while pole 102 is on the roof and/or to move pole 102along the roof.

Attachment 206 (e.g., the sections of members 220-1 and 220-2) can beretracted (e.g., not extended) when roof inspection system 100 is not inuse. For example, attachment can be retracted while roof inspectionsystem 100 is being stored and/or transported.

As shown in FIG. 2, attachment 206 includes a wheel 222 coupled to theend (e.g., the bottom) of each member 220-1 and 220-2. That is, a wheel222 can be coupled to a part of (e.g., the end of) the last section ofmember 220-1 (e.g., section 226-2), and to a part of (e.g., the end of)the last section of member 220-2 (e.g., section 228-2), as illustratedin FIG. 2.

As shown in FIG. 2, attachment 206 includes a coupling member 224coupled to members 220-1 and 220-2. Coupling member 224 can couplemembers 220-1 and 220-2 to a pole (e.g., pole 102 previously describedin connection with FIG. 1) of the roof inspection system. Embodiments ofthe present disclosure are not limited to the particular coupling member224 illustrated in FIG. 2 and can include any type of coupling memberthat can couple members 220-1 and 220-2 to the pole of the roofinspection system.

FIG. 3 illustrates an adjustable camera mount 314 of a roof inspectionsystem in accordance with one or more embodiments of the presentdisclosure. Adjustable camera mount 314 can be, for example, adjustablesensor mount 114 of roof inspection system 100 previously described inconnection with FIGS. 1A and 1B.

Adjustable camera mount 314 can include a number of flexible members.For example, adjustable camera mount 314 can include a number offlexible spherical shaped members coupled in series. For instance, inthe embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, adjustable camera mount 314includes five flexible spherical shaped members (e.g., spherical shapedmembers 332-1, 332-2, 332-3, 332-4, and 332-5) coupled in series (e.g.,spherical shaped member 332-2 is coupled to spherical shaped member332-1, spherical shaped member 332-3 is coupled to spherical shapedmember 332-2, spherical shaped member 332-4 is coupled to sphericalshaped member 332-3, and spherical shaped member 332-5 is coupled tospherical shaped member 332-4). The first ‘flexible spherical shapedmember of the series (e.g., spherical shaped member 332-1) can becoupled to an end of a pole (e.g., end 108 of pole 102 previouslydescribed in connection with FIG. 1) of the roof inspection system.Embodiments of the present disclosure, however, are not limited to aparticular number of flexible members or a particular type (e.g., shape)of flexible member for adjustable camera mount 314.

Adjustable camera mount 314 can include a camera mount coupled to one ofthe flexible members. For example, in the embodiment illustrated in FIG.3, adjustable camera mount 314 includes a camera mount 334 coupled tothe last flexible spherical shaped member of the series (e.g., sphericalshaped member 332-5). A camera (e.g., sensor device 104 previouslydescribed in connection with FIG. 1) can be coupled to the camera mount.

As shown in FIG. 3, adjustable camera mount 314 (e.g., the position ofadjustable camera mount 314) can be adjusted (e.g., moved and/or bent)by adjusting (e.g. moving and/or bending) one or more of the flexiblemembers, Accordingly, adjustable camera mount 314 can provideflexibility for a camera (e.g., sensor device 104) mounted therein,while at the same time keeping the camera stable while it is in use.

FIG. 4 illustrates a mobile device 412 of a roof inspection system inaccordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.Mobile device 412 can be, for example, mobile device 112 of roofinspection system 100 previously described in connection with FIGS. 1Aand 1B.

As shown in FIG. 4, mobile device 412 includes a memory 442 and aprocessor 444 coupled to memory 442. Memory 442 can be any type ofstorage medium that can be accessed by processor 444 to perform variousexamples of the present disclosure. For example, memory 442 can be anon-transitory computer readable medium having computer readableinstructions (e.g., computer program instructions) stored thereon thatare executable by processor 444 to perform various examples of thepresent disclosure. That is, processor 444 can execute the executableinstructions stored in memory 442 to perform various examples of thepresent disclosure.

Memory 442 can be volatile or nonvolatile memory. Memory 442 can also beremovable (e.g., portable) memory, or non-removable (e.g., internal)memory. For example, memory 442 can be random access memory (RAM) (e.g.,dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and/or phase change random accessmemory (PCRAM)), read-only memory (ROM) (e.g., electrically erasableprogrammable read-only memory (EEPROM) and/or compact-disk read-onlymemory (CD-ROM)), flash memory, a laser disk, a digital versatile disk(DVD) or other optical disk storage, and/or a magnetic medium such asmagnetic cassettes, tapes, or disks, among other types of memory.

Further, although memory 442 is illustrated as being located in mobiledevice 412, embodiments of the present disclosure are not so limited.For example, memory 442 can also be located internal to anothercomputing resource (e.g., enabling computer readable instructions to bedownloaded over the Internet or another wired or wireless connection).

In some embodiments, memory 442 can have computer readable instructionsstored thereon that are executable by processor 444 to communicate with,control, and/or operate sensor device 104 previously described inconnection with FIGS. 1A and 1B. For example, memory 442 can havecomputer readable instructions stored thereon that are executable byprocessor 444 to instruct sensor device 104 to capture an image of aroof (e.g., roof 116 previously described in connection with FIG. 1B)and send (e.g., transmit) the captured image to mobile device 412. As anadditional example, memory 442 can have computer readable instructionsstored thereon that are executable by processor 444 to release sensordevice 104 from pole 102 previously described in connection with FIGS.1A and 1B and move sensor device 104 around on the roof after sensordevice 104 is released from pole 102.

As shown in FIG. 4, mobile device 412 includes a user interface 446.User interface 446 can provide (e.g., display and/or present) and/orreceive information (e.g., data and/or images) to and/or from a user(e.g., operator) of mobile device 412. For example, user interface 446can include a screen (e.g., viewfinder) that can display images to theuser of mobile device 412.

As an example, user interface 446 can display the image of the roofcaptured and sent to mobile device 412 by sensor device 104. In someembodiments, user interface 446 can display the image of the roof assensor device 104 captures the image. That is, the user of mobile device412 can view the image as it is being captured by sensor device 104(e.g., the user can see what sensor device 104 sees).

The user of mobile device 412 can be, for instance, a claims adjuster ofan insurance company who is performing an inspection of a roof, aspreviously described herein, or a technician trained to use the devicefor inspections. By viewing the image of the roof on user interface 446of mobile device 412, the claims adjuster can inspect the roof and otherplaces not accessible from the ground without having to physically climbon to the roof and/or walk around the roof, as previously describedherein.

With reference now to FIG. 5, another embodiment is depicted whichillustrates a inspection camera device 502 (such as sensor device 104)in the context of an insurance claim processing system 500. The cameradevice 502 is shown on the roof of a house 506 being inspected and beingcontrolled by a remotely located inspection control system 508. Theinspection control system 508 can be a computer system, such as alaptop, or handheld device (such as mobile device 112) with theappropriate software for operating the camera device 502 and the overallinspection process. The inspection control system 508 can communicatewith the camera device 502 through a wireless interface 510 by wirelesssignals indicated by a dashed line 504 and the inspection control system508 can also communicate with the insurance claim processing system 516through the internet 514 or other network connection. Live or recordedvideo images of the inspection from the camera device 502 can bedisplayed on a video monitor (not shown) of the inspection controlsystem 508. In some embodiments, the digital video signals may be storedon the computer server in the inspection control system 508. Theinspection control system 508 may have an input device (e.g., keyboard,mouse, and/or joystick) controlled by an operator/adjuster 511 (or otherperson) for controlling images captured from the camera device 502.Alternatively, software operating on the inspection control system 508can have a control panel or interactive graphical user interface forcontrolling camera device 502. Other features of the inspection controlsystem 508 can include storage for storing the received data and anetwork connection (e.g., cellular wireless) to connect to the insuranceclaim processing system 516.

The inspection control system 508 can be connected through a computernetwork (e.g., the Internet) 554 to the insurance company's insuranceclaims processing system 516. By electronically connecting theinspection control system 508 to the claim processing system 516,inspection reports can be created and submitted electronically,improving the efficiency of the claim process. Also, annotations can bemade to the recorded video or sensor data to form part or all of theinspection report. In this way, the inspection report can be easilygenerated, stored, and reviewed. Additionally, video and sensor datacollected by the camera device 502 can also be stored along with thereport. The inspection control system 508 can also be integrated withemail, messaging, and scheduling systems, allowing a claim adjuster tocarry a single computer with him/her for both office tasks andinspections. The inspection control system 508 or portion thereof may beincorporated into the camera device 502. In that case, the camera device502 communicates with and may be controlled by commands over theinternet from the adjuster's 511 computer 526 (which may alsoincorporate portions of the inspection control system 508 and/or theinput device 512).

The reported and collected data can be stored in a data warehouse 518where it can be accessed by a claim processing server 522 to makereimbursement payments to the policyholder. Further, the data can beaccessed by customer service 520, or policy holders or customer 524 livein real time or at a later time, so that they can review the datacollected during the inspection in detail. The database can be analyzedusing data warehousing and analysis techniques, in order to bettersupport the insurance company's business, which may preferably beperformed in real time with local and/or cloud data/analysis software.For example, the data can be analyzed to determine trends and patternsin claims and damage, and this can be presented to the person reviewingthis information via a computer terminal. This analysis could beassisted by a person reviewing data and video of damaged roofs or otherstructural portions. These trends and patterns can assist in makingmaintenance inspections, responding to disasters, or detecting fraud.For instance, one such use is where the system identifies the area ofloss and provides the estimate. Thus, a skilled operator is notrequired. The system is preferably configured and operable to learn fromdata warehouse images and sensor data of past inspections and relatedestimates and actual repair costs to inform the estimate based onsystematic comparison of sensor and/or inspector data inputs (such asmaterial (image would compare attributes input as data to visuallyacquired data) age, orientations, and any environmental factors thatwould contribute to the loss probability equation).

It can also be used to better price insurance policies, adjust a policyholder's premiums, and/or adjust the claim reserves. Customers 524 canaccess the insurance company's processing system 516 to determineinformation about their property inspection. Also, the customer 524 mayview the inspection images and/or data over the internet or othernetwork in real time during the inspection or after the inspection iscomplete. The data and images from the inspection can also be used tohelp reconcile questions about the adjustor's cost estimate from thepolicyholder and/or contractor(s) performing the repair work. The dataand images can also be helpful for remote or absentee owners ormanagers, such as for commercial or rental properties. The data may alsobe used to prevent claims by (i) providing advice or (ii) initiating aclaim for the purpose of covering or sharing loss mitigation cost (iii)assisting the repair service in pinpointing problem areas that are notdetectable using traditional inspection methods employed by mostcontractors (iv) informing macro loss mitigation strategies for similarhomes with the same age, environment, and construction.

With reference now to FIG. 6, illustrated are further details of theelectronic insurance company claim processing system 516 of FIG. 5,which may be referred to as a “Central Enterprise” claim system, and howit interacts with the inspection control system 508 of FIG. 5 shown as532 in FIG. 6. The claims processing computer server 534 coordinatesdata from the property inspections 526, requests from customer servicerepresentatives (or users) 546 of the insurance company customer serviceserver 528, and customer (or policy holders or users) 544 of a customercomputer system 542 which may be a PC, Laptop, smartphone, PDA, tabletdevice, a smart home control system, or any other computer device. Theclaim processing computer server 534 is connected to various databases536-540, such as, a policy holder database 536, policy data database538, and property inspections with sensor data database 540. The variouscomponents of the claim processing system can be connected through anytype of data network, such as the Internet 530.

Customer service computer servers 528 are a set of computer systems andservers used by insurance company customer service representatives 546to service the customers (or policy holders) 544. This can includeresponses to requests for information, processing customer claims, anddealing with customer payment issues. These customer service computerservers 528 are connected to the claims processing computer server 534and the attached databases 536-540, therefore, they are able to accessinformation and control the processing of a customer's claim or payment.In addition, the customer (or policyholder) 544 can perform certaintasks themselves using their customer computer system 542. The customers544 can access the claims processing server 534 and databases 536-540through the internet 530 or other network. The customer 544 can performtasks similar to the insurance company customer server representative546, including checking on the status of their claim or payment, andreviewing their property inspection video and data 526 electronically.

Claims processing server 534 is responsible for processing propertyinspection data 526 and applying the appropriate logic and rules todetermine how to make a payment based on the inspection. The claimsprocessing server 534 is connected to policy holder data database 536,which stores information about the policy holder for which a claim isbeing processed. The claims processing server 534 is also connected topolicy data database 538 which includes information about a policyholder's policy, such as, the terms of the agreement, deductibles,coverage dates, etc. The claims processing server is also connected to adatabase or data warehouse storing the property inspections 540,including the recorded sensor data. This database can be used during theprocessing of an inspection to analyze and compare similar propertyinspections. These similar property inspections may be grouped bypolicy, geography, or type of damages.

Comparisons can be made for prospecting new customers, assessing aclaim, detecting a fraudulent claim, or for underwriting, pricing, orrating new or existing customers (discussed more hereinafter). Althoughthree separate databases are shown, additional sources of informationcan also be used by the claims processing server, and any of thedatabases could be combined into one large database, or multiple smallerdatabases. Further, each database can be hosted on a separate computerserver, or multiple databases can be hosted on a single server. Thesedatabases provide information to the claims process server when it isprocessing claims along with the digital information in the propertyinspections, including the sensor data within the inspections (e.g.,scanning of data to identify heuristics of an actual loss. Such scanningcan also inform the inspector/technician if the images satisfy the claimand may direct for additional sensors or image capture to be completedby specific instructions to complete analysis of the suspected loss)

Inspection control system 532 is also connected to the claims processingserver 534 through the Internet 530. The inspection control system 532can feed information directly to the claims processing server 534,and/or generate property inspection containing the same data. Further,by linking the inspection control system 532 to the customer serviceserver 528 and customer computer system 542, both customer (or policyholder) 644 and insurance company customer service representative 564can monitor or participate in the property inspection in real-time or atany later time.

With system 500 being described above, with reference now to FIG. 7A, anillustrated method of operation of system 500 will now be described.

Starting at step 710, an operator of camera device 502 (e.g., aninsurance adjuster 511) causes it to capture one or more preferablydigital images in connection with an inspection of the insured property506, or a portion thereof (e.g., the roof portion). The one or morecaptured digital images are then preferably transmitted to the insuranceprocessing system 516 (step 720). The aforesaid transmission ispreferably accomplished via a wireless transmission via wirelessinterface 510 and a network (e.g., Internet 514). Once the one or moreimages are received in the insurance processing system 516, they areanalyzed to determine a conduct to be followed regarding the ongoinginspection of property 506 (step 730). It is to be appreciated theaforesaid analysis of the received images and sensor data may includedetermining a structural integrity of material (e.g., roofing material)captured in the one or more images. The structural integrity of thematerial may be determined via a pixel analysis (or any form of dataanalysis that may be applied to images, video and sensor data collected)of the one or more captured digital images of the property 506. In oneembodiment, different types of sensor data may be combined to analyze astructure. Tapping on a surface may indicate solid wood or rotten wood.A sensor collecting test data would analyze wave forms rather thanpixels. Overlaid sound on the pixels may indicate termites if there werelimited sound or visual data that is definitive when combined. It may bemore appropriate to describe multi-spectral analysis for each collecteddata source by itself or combined. There are also verbal components thatmay assist the computer in analyzing the situation. Home ownerstatements may influence processing to determine likelihood of damage tobe evidence under the right circumstances. E.g. when a homeownerdescribes a sound that would indicate damage and such damage may exist,but cannot be definitively proven with sensor data alone. Suchartificial intelligence can promote the best outcome for the member andUSAA without additional human intervention. The determined conductpreferably includes instructions for acquiring a certain type of imageof a certain portion of property 506. For instance, the instructions maycall for use of a secondary device, sensor, or camera for acquiringanother data type, such as a pinging device to sense material density.The aforesaid determined conduct (instructions) is then preferablytransmitted back to the operator of camera device 502 for executionthereof (step 740) (e.g., images and sensor data may be subject tosoftware analysis to analyze the acquired information by itself orcombined with other information).

With reference now to FIG. 7b , another illustrated method of operationof system 500 will now be described. With regards to capturing (step750) and transmitting images (step 760), it is to be understood thesesteps are the same as above described steps 710 and 720.

At step 770, once the one or more images and related data are receivedin the insurance processing system 516, they are analyzed to determine atype of material (e.g., roofing material) present in the one or morecaptured images. The material type may be determined via a pixelanalysis of the one or more captured digital images of the property 506.Also, the structural integrity of the determined material type may alsobe determined by system 516. The aforesaid type of material andstructural integrity may be determined via a pixel analysis of the oneor more captured digital images of the property 506. Next, the insuranceprocessing system 516 preferably determines if the determined type ofmaterial is suitable for continued use on the property 502 (step 780).For instance, is the determined roof material suitable for continued useon property 506. This determination may take into consideration thegeographic location of the property.

With certain illustrated embodiments described above, it is to beappreciated that various non-limiting embodiments described herein maybe used separately, combined or selectively combined for specificapplications. Further, some of the various features of the abovenon-limiting embodiments may be used without the corresponding use ofother described features. The foregoing description should therefore beconsidered as merely illustrative of the principles, teachings andexemplary embodiments of this invention, and not in limitation thereof.

It is to be understood that the above-described arrangements are onlyillustrative of the application of the principles of the illustratedembodiments. Numerous modifications and alternative arrangements may bedevised by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope ofthe illustrated embodiments, and the appended claims are intended tocover such modifications and arrangements.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: identifying a structure tobe inspected; identifying one or more structures correlated to thestructure to be inspected; retrieving, from a data warehouse, acorrelated set of data associated with the one or more structures thatare correlated to the structure to be inspected, wherein the datawarehouse stores data associated with inspections of a plurality ofstructures generated by a plurality of inspection devices, and whereinthe plurality of structures includes the one or more structures that arecorrelated to the structure to be inspected; receiving, from aninspection device, inspection sensor data associated with the structure;receiving inspector data input associated with the structure; analyzingthe inspection sensor data associated with the structure, the inspectordata input associated with the structure, and the correlated set ofdata; and determining damage associated with the structure based on theanalyzing the inspection data associated with the structure, theinspector data input, and the correlated set of data.
 2. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the one or more structures correlated to the structureto be inspected comprises at least one of a roof, a wall, or a window.3. The method of claim 1, comprising: causing another inspection deviceto generate additional inspection data associated with the structure tobe inspected.
 4. The method of claim 1, comprising: storing theinspection data associated with the structure to be inspected to thedata warehouse.
 5. The method of claim 1, comprising: determining, basedon the correlated set of data, a repair cost for the damage; receiving,from a user device, an indication of a payment for repair of the damage;and issuing, based at least on the correlated set of data and theindication of the payment, a reimbursement for the payment.
 6. Themethod of claim 1, comprising: determining a pattern associated with thecorrelated set of data; and wherein the determining the damageassociated with the structure is based at least on the pattern.
 7. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the correlated set of data compriseshistorical data associated with inspections of the structure to beinspected.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the inspection dataassociated with the structure to be inspected comprises image data. 9.The method of claim 8, wherein the analyzing the inspection dataassociated with the structure to be inspected comprises performing apixel analysis of the image data.
 10. A method comprising: receiving,from a plurality of inspection devices, a plurality of data sets,wherein the plurality of data sets are associated with a plurality ofinspected structures, wherein the plurality of data sets include sensordata associated with each of the plurality of structures, and whereinthe plurality of data sets include inspector data input associated witheach of the plurality of structures; determining, based on analyzing oneor more data sets of the plurality of data sets, a set correlationassociated with one or more inspected structures for each of theplurality of data sets; annotating the each of the plurality of datasets with an indication the set correlation to generate an annotatedplurality of data sets; storing the annotated plurality of data sets ina data warehouse; and determining, based on correlation of the datastored to the data warehouse and additional structure data associatedwith an additional structure, a structural integrity of the additionalstructure not among the plurality of inspected structures.
 11. Themethod of claim 10, comprising: initiating an insurance claim based onthe structural integrity of the additional structure.
 12. The method ofclaim 10, comprising: causing output, to a user device, of arepresentation of at least one data set of the plurality of data sets inreal-time as the at least one data set is received from an inspectiondevice.
 13. A method comprising: receiving, from a plurality ofinspection devices, sensor data associated with inspections of aplurality of structures; receiving, from a plurality of inspectors,inspector data input associated with the plurality of structures;aggregating the sensor data and the inspector data input associated withthe inspections of the plurality of structures; determining, based onthe aggregated data, one or more groups of correlated structures of theplurality of structures; determining one or more patterns associatedwith the one or more groups of correlated structures; and causing outputof a representation of the determined one or more patterns to a userdevice.
 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the determined patterncomprises a pattern associated with damage associated with thecorrelated structures.
 15. The method of claim 13, wherein therepresentation of the one or more patterns comprises a cost associatedwith insuring the structure.
 16. The method of claim 13, wherein thedetermined pattern comprises a pattern associated with insurance claimsassociated with the correlated structures.
 17. The method of claim 16,comprising: determining potential fraud based on the determined pattern.18. The method of claim 13, wherein the determined pattern comprises apattern associated with costs to repair the correlated structures. 19.The method of claim 18, comprising: determining, based on the cost torepair the correlated structures, a cost to repair the structure; andwherein the representation of the determined pattern comprises anindication of a cost to repair the structure.
 20. The method of claim10, wherein analyzing the one or more data sets of the plurality of datasets comprises performing a pixel analysis of images in the one or moredata sets.